From Elf to Neanderthals

Elf director Jon Favreau has signed on to write and produce a new CG-animated flick called Neanderthalsfor Sony Pictures Animation, according to today's edition of the Hollywood Reporter.

Favreau pitched his original story to the studio and they sparked to the idea. Futher plot details, Sony says, "are being kept in a cave under a large boulder protected by a mastodon." Nice.

The Swingers star and director of the forthcoming flick Zathura is also contributing to another Sony Pictures Animation project called Open Season. He'll lend his voice to the character of Reilly, the beaver.

Favreau's Zathura arrives in theaters on November 11th. He can next be seen on the big screen in The Break-Up, opposite Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.

In addition to Neanderthals, Favreau has John Carter of Mars on his plate. He recently replaced Sky Captain helmer Kerry Conran on the Paramount project.